


It's Almost Over

by KellyDay



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Not Beta Read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 17:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18642355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyDay/pseuds/KellyDay
Summary: High School AU inspired by MandyLu's "You are beautiful to me" which is freaking adorable.





	It's Almost Over

I.

Freshman study hall. It was petition day. Armed her sky blue sign up sheets, she had already started pitching her idea to a few people sitting next to her. The English department had to allow Game of Kings to be part of the curriculum for advanced lit! Her class was told it was excluded due to its violence and strong language, but she suspected the teachers were just uncomfortable discussing anything sexual. And gods forbid, she argued, that teachers should welcome an open conversation about sex, especially from the book’s unique, historical context. She practiced the talking points with mom all night and it paid off. By the end of the period, most of the class had signed on in protest, save for the very devout religious kids and Sandor Clegane.

While Brienne wasn’t exactly avoiding him, she was in no rush to get to him either. So when she finally did approach him, he raised his hands up in protest, expecting her spiel. “Save it,” He rasped, slouched back and looking impossibly bored behind the mess of curls he used to hide the scars on one side of his face. And to avoid looking at them she sought out his eyes, noting their gray color with flecks of gold towards his pupils. His shirt was black and his worn jeans that used to be black, had holes at the knees and frayed seams. And when he caught her eye, giving her an obvious once-over as she’d just rudely done to him. 

She clutched the petitions to her chest, thinking on a different approach. “Have you read Game of Kings?” She asked, throwing the petitions down on the table next to her, leaning against the table as casually as she could. “I mean, aren’t you curious?”

“It was hard to follow,” he answered, flatly, eyes straight ahead at nothing. Like if he ignored her hard enough, she would actually disappear. “Too many characters… Too much to fucking remember.” He added, still without turning his head. At that point, it had annoyed her so much that she dared to poke the bear.

After a fortifying breath, she started again. “Don’t you think other people should get a chance to read it? People who could follow it, I mean? If you had cared to finish it, you’d know–”  
“I fucking finished it.” He growled defensively, focusing his glare at her. She had his attention, now.

“Okay!” She exclaimed, trying to win him back. “So you know how good the story is!” She exclaimed, trying to win him back. “I mean, you kept on reading it, right? There had to be something you liked about it.”  
He looked back at her and rolled his eyes. “There were lots of brutal deaths between all the boring shit… Oh, and there’s a lot of fucking.” He said simply, and after what was a comically long pause, he shrugged. “Fine, I’ll sign it. Just shut up about it already.” She clapped in delight, then handed a pen and paper over. “Your enthusiasm, it’s annoying.” He said matter-of-factly and signed, quickly ignoring her again.

Later, other students would read his name on the petition and either congratulate her or would incorrectly assume Sandor had been joking. Ygritte said it was “so punk rock,” and Dany chimed in that it was silly a book was being banned in the first place. Within a week, the book was being officially added to the next session of classes. It made her semester!

***

II.

Sophomore year, after volleyball practice, Brienne was sitting in the quad where most kids waited for the late bus. Up until recently, mom had come to pick her up after practice but… she’d left. Dad had found a note one morning a few weeks prior, a bunch of her things were gone and her car missing from the driveway. Brienne often wondered if she’d been too difficult to raise. Maybe mom would’ve stayed if she were more compliant about her hair or clothes or the sports she played and her hobbies. It made her feel terrible all the time and school was getting tougher to get through.

And as though Cersei Lannister could sense her vulnerability, she started to ramp up her bullying. That afternoon, Cersei was hanging around with her little crew instead of packing into a towncar after cheer which was their usual move. She and her minions walked by Brienne making donkey noises as they passed, whispering among themselves and looking pointedly in her direction. Brienne had taken it quietly for weeks, but something broke her that day. Cersei was in a particular mood, and she kept muttering insults louder and louder until she practically shouted, “My brother would never date a donkey like her!” She pointed at Brienne, now. “Can you believe that mule asked my brother out?”

Brienne’s mind flashed to the night before, when she’d gotten up the nerve to ask Jamie to spring formal. It was their last fencing match of the season. Jamie was moving on to a higher rank and Brienne had decided this was the moment. And after their match, she removed her helmet and blurted it out all at once – that she’d like to go to winter formal and it would be nice if it was with him. Jamie smiled graciously and said he’d already planned on taking someone else. Crestfallen, Brienne had waited for her dad to pick her up alone, outside in the cold, thinking her life couldn’t get any worse. She was wrong.

“She’ll be a virgin forever!” Cersei’s voice echoed in the air, pulling her out of her daze. A few giggles started it but then a roar of laughter broke out among them. Forty or fifty teenagers all either cackling or frowning at her in pity. She felt tiny pin pricks on her skin, followed by a crushing embarrassment that sunk her into the ground. Cersei mocked her, still. All the girls were pointing at her from afar. And then Brienne saw red. In a flash, she was on her feet. Her eyes like lasers burning holes into Cersei’s sneer. And before she - or anyone - could stop her, time went slow then fast and Brienne was driving her fist into the girl’s face. Cersei made to claw her back, but she shoved her away by the shoulders. Then from out of nowhere, Brienne was being pulled back by two teachers.

She couldn’t believe Cersei had gotten to her this badly! She felt feral. Like an animal. And Mr. Seaworth, her PE teacher, had to take her aside as she gasped for air, bursting into tears. It was so incredibly humiliating. In the blur of everything, she was taken into the building and she could hear Mr. Seaworth murmur, “Your father’s on his way.” She was going to hear it from dad, for sure! And over a BOY?! Ugh! She felt so ashamed that she sobbed even harder and Mr. Seaworth had to pat her on the back awkwardly, going “There, there now. Buck up, Tarth!” He told Brienne to sit in a waiting room next to the principal’s office and went in to speak to the woman herself, leaving Brienne a sobbing mess. 

A moment later she heard someone bark out, “Hey!” And then, “Tarth!” She looked up, pulling her hands away from her red, tear-stained face to find Sandor Clegane sitting with his back against the assistant principal’s office, looking at her with genuine concern.

“Hey! Clegane! You want another week?” Mr. Pycell yelled from inside the office.  
He scowled, but kept his gaze on Brienne. Then a moment later, he whispered. “It’s alright, Tarth. It’s almost over.”

Brienne nodded and tried to swallow another sob.

***

III.

The third time they spoke was a week later, at Dany’s going away party. As a last hurrah, one of the bad kids that worshipped her broke into a house in the middle of the woods. Normally, to Brienne a party sounded like a horror show, but after the week and a half of nothing but reading for advanced lit, doing burpees until her knees hurt, and gods playing cyvasse with dad for the millionth time, it sounded great!

She didn’t like lying to her dad, but she decided to put it out of her mind as Renly’s car pulled up and she hopped in. As soon as she did, he launched into a story about how Bronn and Margie were caught leaving the east wing boiler room at school, which he said was “totally typical of those sluts.” Brienne didn’t get it, but then, she rarely did these days. Renly was blossoming far beyond her comprehension. It intimidated her, as overnight, he gained a command over all things social and sexual. She felt so naive around him all the time. But she loved moments like this. When they sang together and they swapped stories about which teachers they thought were secret lovers. Then listened to a podcast about the merits of a Game of Kings movie which they both agreed would be absolute garbage. It was a while before they pulled into the long gravel driveway to a beautiful, modern and not-at-all rustic cabin. Cars were already parked all over a slate patio, and random people were scattered around the property. She suspected one of the bad kids was also rich and had just stolen the keys to this place.

***

They found their friends congregated over a keg in the back yard. Brienne didn’t accept anything to drink, but she revelled in everyone’s enthusiasm. Loras was getting into some elaborate story about his grandmother’s vineyard when a bunch of the drunk stoner kids barged into their group, tossing around boxes of wine.

Among them was a giant she now recognized as Sandor Clegane. He chugged from an upturned box, emptying its contents before chucking the box to the ground, howling. The crowd around him cheered, “Hound! Hound! Hound!” Brienne watched from afar, not knowing whether to be sad or happy for him.

***

When Renly and Loras had busied themselves, making out against a tree, Brienne trekked down a paved walkway to the far end of the property where she spotted what a little A-frame house. It was dark, save for a camp light that kept the door ajar. She stepped in only a few paces before she saw its entirety, a wood-paneled room with a white bed taking up much of its space. It was like a permanent tent. And just as she pondered exactly how she could convince dad to build her one of these, she was shoved forward, falling face-first into the mattress. She heard shoving and then a loud slamming against the door.

“Get me out of here, you fucks!” Growled a voice she recognized as Sandor Clegane’s. Form outside, a roar of laughter answered him. Then a girl screeched “Seven minutes! Seven minutes! Seven minutes!” And then crowd cheered, chanting along with her. Sandor pounded at the door a couple more times out of frustration. The response of laughter coming from further away, fading back into the noise of the party.

Still on the bed, she twisted around to his hulking figure, standing over her awkwardly. He let out a resigned sigh and looked around the room, brushing a large hand over his face that drew Brienne’s eyes to his beard. High school boys could grow beards?! She wondered.

“Move over.” He murmured. When she did, he flopped backward into the bed. “Fucking assholes,” he told the ceiling, and her gaze followed his to the skylights above. A million stars sparkled through a deep blue sky. And then she was back to being amazed. 

“This place is so cool!” She laughed, as she laid back down. And they were quiet like that for a while, engulfed by the darkness, both gazing up at the stars. Then a moment passed and Brienne noticed that she could hear his slow, deep breaths and that he smelled like cigarettes.

“Hey, I heard what you did to that bitch, Cersei,” He rasped after a while. She was glad for the darkness, knowing that she had probably turned beet red, ashamed by any mention of the incident.

“Don’t call her that.” She managed to say, turning to him. His hair had fallen back on the bed, revealing more of his scar than Brienne had ever seen. They looked painful.

“Fair enough.” He shrugged. “You were amazing, though.” Amazing, he said.  
She didn't know how to take that from the black sheep of the school. “I don’t know why I did it!” She shrugged. “I guess I just got so angry… but it was… so stupid.”  
“No, it wasn’t! You stood up for yourself!” He raised his voice, nearly yelling. And then something curious happened. He chuckled. “You fucking clobbered her! You should be proud!”

“Oh, I’m super proud!” She laughed ironically. “More importantly, my dad’s super proud. I’m being punished at home and at school. I had to sneak out just to come to this stupid party because I got so bored. And now… I’m so full of guilt I can’t even enjoy myself!” She couldn’t help letting it all tumble out but couldn’t feel embarrassed about it, as she watched a big, goofy smile break across his face. It was such a peculiar, bright thing.

“Such a bad girl.” He murmured, and she felt herself blush. “So… where does Selwyn think you are right now?”  
“I told him I was going to the sept. I volunteer sometimes.” She shrugged.  
“‘Course you fucking do!” He barked out a laugh.  
“Shut up!” She elbowed him back, as she relaxed a bit. “And Selwyn?! What, are you and my dad friends or something?”  
“I take his woodshop class.” He shrugged.  
“‘Course you fucking do!” She snorted back, mocking him.

He giggled in genuine amusement and the abnormally high pitch of it tickled her. “I've never heard you curse.” He mumbled, almost to himself, smiling with the corners of his eyes creased. He’s almost, like… really handsome this way, she thought. An idea flashed in her mind and before she could stop, she heard herself say, “How much time do we have left?” She propped herself up on an elbow, turning to him.

“Three minutes, fifty-five seconds.” He answered in monotone. And the whole bed swayed as he sat up. She saw all traces of elation leave his face as he did, a shift in his mood chilling the air around them. He thinks I just want to get out of here, she thought.

So, Brienne sat up, biting her lip to keep from smiling too broadly. She couldn’t help it. She was giddy. “Well, Sandor,” she started and watched him smirk to the sound his name. “This is definitely not how I thought my night would go, but… would you… want to make out… with me?” Her face was suddenly hot.

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously and for a second she wished she could take it back. Good going, Brienne. She berated herself. But before she could turn away, he leaned in, one hand lifting her chin to him as his soft, warm lips crashed into hers. He tasted like cigarettes too, but she found she didn’t mind, delighting in the way his body, even sitting, hulked over hers. Sandor touched and kissed her so carefully. She couldn’t help smiling against his lips. This is really happening! She thought distantly and her stomach flipped. It made her gasp, breaking their kiss only for a moment before Sandor darted his tongue into her mouth. Her whole body blushed and she hummed suggestively.

“Alright, get ‘em out! What the…” Springing apart suddenly, they both turned to see Bronn smirking at the sight. Margie followed closely, snapping a picture before anyone could stop her. “Oooh! Let me see!”

At the sight of the open door, Brienne shot up. “See you, Sandor.” She called out and fled the little house without looking back.

***

IV.

The following Monday started out normally enough, but she couldn’t help but notice more and more people looking at her as the day went on. Even Jaime had stopped by her locker before lunch to ask her pointedly about the weekend, and all his words were coated with an unfamiliar tone of jealousy. It wasn’t until she walked into the caf that she figured it out.

“Hey, Tarth. Settle a bet for us, will ya?” Ed called out to her from his table of stoners. Bronn refused to look at her and Margie swatted at Ed. “Leave her alone! We were both there! Nothing happened!” She insisted. Brienne began to feel a familiar crushing against her chest, but then someone tugged gently at her sleeve.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” It was Sandor. She nodded, following him to the patio by the cafeteria garbage bins. It was the only place to smoke and Sandor promptly lit a cigarette as they stepped onto the slab. “They think we had sex in that little house.” He said at once, taking a long pull and then exhaling from the side of his lips, away from her.

“Oh, no.” She grumbled. Did everyone think that? She was horrified. “W-What did you say!?”  
“I didn’t say anything. It’s none of their fucking business.”  
Her chest warmed at that, but she kicked herself inwardly for being so easily assuaged. He could be lying. “How do I know you didn’t start the rumor?”

He looked back at her through slits and grabbed her by the arm, his face so close to hers that their noses almost touched. Brienne wondered if he’d try to kiss her again, but quickly dismissed it as he growled in her face. “I’m not a fucking liar!” She winced, but would not withdraw from the intensity of his glare.

She remembered his words back in the principal’s office. It was so weird that he talked to her at all, let alone try to comfort her. But his words did comfort her. Countless times, she chanted them to herself, to keep from sobbing or to keep from screaming in frustration. A moment passed and she felt his thumb brush against her skin, forming goosebumps in its wake. And her stomach flipped again.

“Sandor–” She tried to say, but his lips were on hers before she could go on. And without thinking too much about it, she kissed him back. His hand slid from her arm to her neck, stroking her jaw as he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, nipping softly as he tilted his head. The thrill of it made her lose her breath and her eyes blinked open to stormy orbs, returning her gaze through heavy lids. They separated in a little smack.

“I should go.”  
“Hey… have you ever thought…” He shrugged. “I mean, they already think we did it.”  
She stared at him wide-eyed, shocked by what he just implied. “You’re an idiot.” The words tumbled out beyond her control. But instead of anger on his face, she saw genuine amusement. He nodded to her as she backed away, towards the double-doors that lead out to the patio. “You’re alright, Tarth.” He smirked as she headed back inside.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment if you like this! I might add more chapters, but this is probably warm-up for a larger high school au with My So-Called Life, Freaks & Geeks, and 70's Show vibes. I like to think of Sandor like Hyde, for instance.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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